Operation Tigtetsu
by AnimeAddicter101
Summary: When Kotetsu gets hit by a rogue NEXT's ability, turning into a wild roaring five hundred pound feline was something that he did NOT expect. Now, Barnaby has his hands full as he attempts to take care of his partner's new side as well as find a way to return him back to his old self. Kotetsu/Barnaby fluff. (Collab between AnimeAddicter101 & Winterferns)
1. Chapter 1: Prelude to Transfiguration

10/26/13

* * *

The recent battle against Jake seemed like a distant, surreal memory, although it had only occurred about a week ago. It all started out as relatively normal day- there weren't any crazy NEXT users running amok, no bank robberies on the loose- it was more or less peaceful. Kotetsu had been enthusiastically working on his chest presses instead of paperwork as usual in the hero gym whilst Barnaby - the more responsible of the two - flipped through his pocket-sized planner, recording various events they would need to attend to as well as planning efficiently so that no times would clash. Their popularity climbed at an alarmingly fast pace, getting them called in for more photoshoots and interviews than the norm.

The tranquil silence was interrupted by the familiar wailing siren. Immediately, a voice picked up onto the intercom. "Bonjour, Heroes," Agnes' smoky voice echoed throughout the room. On cue, everyone's attention focused undividedly on her. "Your assistance is required. There is a high-profile break-in at Sternbild City's Kings Zoo on 111th Street, and evidence pertains that there are NEXT users involved in a possible animal trafficking heist. Report to the scene at once."

Kotetsu jumped off the equipment with boyish excitement and bounded up to Barnaby, who stood up to place the planner into his locker. "Well, let's go Bunny!" he announced with his usual goofy lopsided grin, an "of course old man" chuckled in the background. The two trekked their way to Saito's changing room, where they shed their civilian clothes, replacing them with sleek tight-fitting bodysuits, then entering the rotating chamber where suits were donned upon them, the various pieces of armor attaching itself to bodies in a flashy manner. Outside, their chasers waited for them in the fading sunlight - conjoined at the sides as the engine purred with life. Apollon Media's partnered duo strode out of the building, and in a streak of green and pink disappeared into the bustling city.

The roar of the helicopter could be heard overhead as the HeroTV helicopter hovered above Kings Zoo, spotlight sweeping across the area in search of the criminals. The visitors were fleeing for the exits because apparently the animal traffickers thought it was a good idea to cast the animals on the loose. Elephants reared and plowed through the walkways, destroying the zoo's facilities. Large cats growled and snarled at each other as they were herded into the back of armored cages. In the midst of this havoc stood the hijackers, four men dressed in the stereotype black outfit. As the descent to anarchy played out, the ever present voice of the commentator played out. "Currently, the smugglers have broken into our city's own Kings Zoo and are wreaking havoc everywhere. The police have started to evacuate all the civilians from the area and have barricaded the exits. Who will come to save the day and what fate will befall those poor animals?!"

The HeroTV helicopter hovered over the scene as one of the men started to glow blue and sent the zoo's rhinoceros plowing through a row of gift stands, scattering souvenirs all over the floor. A sudden shriek drew the attention towards a woman who was standing on top of one of the vending machines with a pack of wolves snarling and snapping at her feet. In a flash of pink, the woman disappeared and was whisked away to safety. She stopped and blinked up at her savior who was none other than Barnaby Brooks Jr. "Are you alright, Miss?" he inquired gently, faceplate lifted to reveal piercing green eyes and flowy blonde locks, concern crossing his features. The woman nodded furiously in silent awe; a blush sported across her face and she watched as the man leapt away back to the chaotic scene where his partner, Wild Tiger, has just arrived, crashing through the remaining standing souvenir stalls. On a nearby TV the rescue scene came into play. "Oh! What is this? It appears that Sternbild's crime busting duo has arrived! It looks like Barnaby has just swooped it to save the damsel in distress!" The screen cut to the stats of Barnaby and Wild Tiger, and they were given points to be the first to arrive at the scene.

"Oi, Old Man, are you already starting your destruction streak already?" Barnaby's voice called, his voice muffled by the visor.

"Quiet, Bunny," Kotetsu grumbled, voice also muffled. "Besides, what's a little damage when you're saving lives!" Damage fines that were all filled out by Barnaby of course, so there was no harm done. Minus the amount of times Lloyds always lectured Kotetsu on the ever increasing fines. He lept forward towards the smugglers. "Let's let out a wild roarrrrrrrr-aaah!"

The rhinoceros's horn caught Tiger's suit and sent his flying into the air, crashing into one of the exhibit's watery enclosure with a loud splash. He sat up in the water mush and whipped away the mud that trailed slightly off his suit. He let out a groan as he jumped up the exhibit fence and back towards the fray, turning to witness Rock Bison body slam the Rhino and shove it back towards its pen. Sky High followed by picking up one of the smugglers and lifting him high into the air. "Oh! Looks like the others have started to arrive! Sky High has managed to capture of the the criminals!" The screen displayed the points being awarded.

Kotetsu grumbled as he heaved himself over the fence and onto the ground on the other side. A growl made him stiffen and he turned very slowly to see an adult lion staring him down. He gulped as he stared back at it. "Ooooh what is this? It looks like Wild Tiger is facing off against Kings Zoo's top male lion! Is this the greatest cat fight of the century? Who will win?" Kotetsu cracked his knuckles, this is going to be a piece of cake. "Hold it Tiger!" Agnes's voice crackled through through the headset. "Don't you_ dare_ injure that lion! Destroying stands is one thing, paying medical bills for zoo animals is another!"

Kotetsu stared, baffled at the lion. "Eh?" The lion let out a fierce roar and pounced towards him. Kotetsu dodged it and it sailed over him. "What am I suppose to then? First you tell me to fight, then you tell me don't fight!" He demanded as the lion turned around for another round, lips pulled back and teeth bared for all to see. "Woah!" He staggered to his left as he was charged at once more, quickly regaining his balance.

"Don't _fight_ it; just figure out a way to capture it! Safely," she growled out in reminder, her voice ringing threateningly in his ears.

"Geez, what a pain," Kotetsu grumbled to himself, glancing around to see what items were nearby that could aid in safely rounding up the lion. He activated his Hundred Power - his suit glowing a fluorescent green in response - and grabbed the chain link fence and with inhuman speed, circled it around the lion, who let out a roar in confusion. He then grabbed one of the remaining metal bars and twisted it to keep the whole makeshift cage in its place. The Hero TV helicopter circled overhead and focused on the scene, and Kotetsu's capture was being replayed. "Wow! Look at that! Wild Tiger has managed to catch the lion using the resources around him! Way to go!" The points tally appeared, the successful capture racking up some points.

Kotetsu brushed off his hands, grinning proudly at his work. Sure he might have caused a teensy bit of property damage - he wasn't called the Crusher of Justice for nothing - but he managed to capture the lion _without_ the dread of paperwork and vet fees. A streak of movement caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He turned sharply to see that one of the NEXT users was slinking around the edge of the Reptile House. He turned and then bulleted after him. "You there! Stop!" He caught the man in a flying tackle that sent them crashing through the wall and into the heart of the Reptile Building.

Barnaby was rounding up the pack of wolves back into their enclosure when he saw his partner tackle one of the men into the Reptile Building. He sighed at the thought of all the damage paperwork that he would need to fill out. After safely sealing the exit to the pen, he hopped his way towards the building, avoiding any rubble to disturb it further. When he entered, he heard some shouting. "Hey stop it! I am only trying to help out!" Kotetsu's voice, Barnaby's mind registered.

"Get away from me! Don't try to stop our plan!" The smuggler's voice snarled out. Barnaby turned around the corner to see the smuggler engulf himself in the NEXT blue glow and shoot a beam of light to the python just behind Kotetsu. It would have worked, if Kotetsu didn't move into the way. Kotetsu stood rigid as the beam engulfed him in the pale blue glow. Barnaby decided this was the time to act and jumped forward, kicking the unexpected smuggler right in the solar plexus. The results were not what he expected: the connection shattered and Kotetsu was sent flying through the air and hit the side of the building with a loud thud.

Barnaby then turned to pin the man in the classic Criminal Hold. He turned his head towards his partner who remained kind of crumpled and was now strangely curled up. "Oi, Old Man, are you just going to sleep there all day?" A strange whine came from Kotetsu. Barnaby stared in confusion. Was he sick? He dragged the reluctant smuggler with him as he walked over towards his fallen partner and nudged him with his foot. Kotetsu made a bit of a twitch. "Old Man? Kotetsu?" He stooped down to lift the face plate. Amber-brown eyes glared at him, ivory fangs were bared and a snarl erupted. Barnaby jumped back, reeling in shock. Kotetsu was no longer in the suit; in his place was an adult male tiger.

.~.~.~.

"Hi! Barnaby here. It appears that Kotetsu may have turned into a tiger from that NEXT power backlash. To make it worse, it seems that nobody could understand him at all! What am I suppose to say to everybody else about this? Stayed tuned for next time in New Body, New Mind! See ya~"

* * *

1) Kings Zoo: A parallel to NYC's Queens Zoo

Hey there, and thanks for reading! _Operation Tigtetsu_ is brought to you as a collab by AnimeAddicter101 and Winterferns. ^_^

WF: Ciao guys, Winter here, I want to thank you guys for reading this! I honestly completely blame Anime for getting me into this anime. _ Turning me into some obsessed fangirl. Then I in turn infected my sister.

AA: Haha, I have no shame in admitting I started the chain of Tiger&Bunny obsessions. 8D Anyway, just as Winter said, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for our next update, which hopefully will be weekly~ Ah, and this is our first T&B fic, so do pardon any mistakes we make.

WF: And don't forget to review~ (AA: And maybe favorite?) We FanFic writers live off of the reviews given by the viewers.

AA: Questions, comments and critiques are always appreciated~ Peace out!

WF: And flames will be ignored. Ciao for now~

(°◇°人°◇°)


	2. Chapter 2: New Body, New Mind

11/7/13

* * *

"_Old Man? Kotetsu?" He stooped down to lift the face plate. Amber-brown eyes glared at him, ivory fangs were bared and a snarl erupted. Barnaby jumped back, reeling in shock. Kotetsu was no longer in the suit; in his place was an adult male tiger._

.~.~.~.

Barnaby stared in bewilderment at the new fluffy form in front of him. The tiger squeezed his eyes shut and his large pink nose scrunched up, as if removing the barrier between the inside of the suit and the outside had proved too much of a contrast. Barnaby immediately snapped the faceplate shut and then whipped his gaze back to the criminal in his arms, who looked just as baffled as he did. "Explain. Now." Barnaby ground out each syllable, teeth gritted.

"I- I don't…" the smuggler sputtered. "I was aiming for the python and he.." His eyes widened as he stared at Barnaby fearfully. "He-he will be alright, right?"

"Does it look like that!?" Barnaby snapped. He lifted his faceplate and his eyes gleamed murderously. "What. Happened."

The man squirmed uncomfortably. "I d-don't know! My NEXT powers only are suppose to work on animals! P-plus y-you broke m-my connection and sent him f-flying! It's n-never happened to me before! I-I'm sorry, I c-can help i-if you w-want."

Barnaby glared at him. "Change him back. That will suffice."

The man looked at him in absolute hopelessness. "I would if I could! I didn't even know that it was possible! I can give you c-contacts that would help you. . ." Barnaby tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"Um, you have to untie me first. . ." The man said timidly. Barnaby let out a frustrated, angry sigh and undid the ropes that he looped around the man. The man then grabbed a business card from his pocket and handed it to him. Barnaby looked it over and noticed it has some scribbled notes on the back.

". . . Do you always keep these with you on a heist?" He asked.

"J-just this once!" The man argued. "I thought I might need it!"

Barnaby snorted. "Fine, but I am still arresting you. Come with me and your sentence won't be as bad, and do NOT mention_ any_ of this to _anybody_." He grabbed the man, re-tied him, and lead him out of the Reptile House. He was going to have to deal with Kotetsu later. Barnaby paused, as if he heard something and looked towards a particularly shadowed area. After a couple moments of staring, he shrugged it off and headed towards the exit.

.~. ~. ~.

Ivan pressed himself against the wall around the corner from the scene currently taking place. His breaths were quick and shallow, afraid he'd be caught witnessing the exchange. He couldn't hear the words being spoken, but something definitely wasn't right. Wild Tiger was slumped, unmoving, and the other two occupants of the room were conversing, the criminal's restrains removed. On top of that, a note of sorts passed from the criminal to Barnaby, the hero muttering something under his breath before restraining the latter once more. As they were leaving, Barnaby's gaze turned straight towards him and that was when he decided that he needed to leave, fast. He turned and disappeared back out of the Reptile House and towards the rest of the Heros, his mind reeling with this new information.

.~. ~. ~.

"Oh! It looks like Barnaby Brooks Jr has caught the last smuggler!" The camera focused on the two of them as they walked towards the police vehicles, points promptly being awarded on HeroTV. Barnaby waved at the camera with a forced smile and dragged the smuggler towards the police. He handed the man to an officer who saluted him in thanks. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Brooks." Barnaby gave him a curt nod and then walked past the rest of the heros, who had finished rounding up all of the panicking animals safely back into their pens.

"Handsome~ Where is Tiger?" Fire Emblem called towards the pink-suited hero.

Barnaby continued to walk, as if the question didn't bother him. "He headed back to Saito earlier. I'm going to catch up with him." He continued to head off into the dark. As he walked by, Barnaby would have noticed that Origami stiffened ever so slightly if his mind wasn't currently focused on a certain furry being in a green battle suit that would be_ very_ uncomfortable to stay in.

After disappearing out of their view, Barnaby discreetly looped around the zoo and back to the destroyed Reptile House, which was thankfully void from surveillance. He slipped through the rubble and found that Kotetsu's suit was still lying against the wall. He nudged the suit gently and got a nasty, annoyed snarl as a reply. He attempted to hoist the suit up, grunting slightly at the dead weight. "Why are you so heavy?" He hissed. He was answered by an angry snarl and a smack in the face as the tiger started to flail. "Stop it! This will get us nowhere." Barnaby groaned, his head spinning slightly at the sudden smack in the head. To his ultimate surprise, the tiger immediately stopped flailing and resorted to a soft moody growl. Barnaby looked at him in a slight daze; wait, he could understand him? Was this tiger really Kotetsu?

Barnaby tapped his headgear, which was rather difficult given that he was trying to carrying a five hundred pound cat, making a call to Saito. "Saito, I need you to come over. _Now_. It has to do with Kotetsu." He trailed off as he stared at the rather unmovable lump. "Can you bring something like a trolley? No, Saito, I'm not trying to make off with some of the Zoo's artifacts. Who do you take me for? Just, come as soon as you can." He made an acknowledging sound at Saito's hushed voice saying he was on his way before disconnecting the call. Patiently he waited until Saito's van was near his relative location before half-dragging half-carrying the tiger past all the rubble and onto even ground. With his five minutes up, there was no way he could completely support him on his own.

Outside, Saito wheeled a flatbed trolley out from the van and gave Barnaby a questioning look as the hero strode up to him. Once more, Barnaby assured the latter that he wasn't taking anything of zoo property and disappeared back into the Reptile House, trolley trailing behind him. Back inside, Barnaby carefully hoisted the suit onto it, mindful of the tiger growling softly when it was uncomfortable.

Saito raised a thick eyebrow as Barnaby returned, wheeling Wild Tiger's suit on it. If the veteran was merely unconscious, couldn't Barnaby have just brought him back with his typical "princess carry" instead? He was about to press this issue when Barnaby paused to move the trolley into the van. "We need to talk after we get him out from the suit." Saito looked at him quizzically and watched as Barnaby wheeled him inside the van, safe from prying eyes.

Barnaby pulled the trolley to a stop and then looked at Saito. "Have you noticed anything strange with the suit's vitals?" He asked suddenly. Saito, startled by the sudden question, nodded carefully. Barnaby sighed and then started his story of what happened to their mission. "And after the NEXT hit him with his powers. . ." Barnaby stated, he walked over and flipped open the faceplate, causing Saito to stumble back with a squeak.

Kotetsu, at least that was who Barnaby hoped it was, let out an angry roar for being cooped inside the suit for so long. His eyes flashed and he stared at Barnaby with unadulterated anger._ What took you so long?_ His eyes seemed to ask. Barnaby snorted. "I'm sorry that you suddenly became so heavy." Those tiger eyes flashed indignantly, as if they were saying,_ Hey!_ Barnaby smirked, "You never change, Old Man." The tiger huffed in response, as if pouting slightly.

Barnaby and Saito immediately set to work on removal of the suit. Bit by bit they cautiously dismantled each piece - it was difficult knowing what position the tiger's body was in, and they certainly didn't want to injure him - until everything on the front was removed, leaving a shell of the back half of the suit. Now free of his metal confines, Kotetsu rolled off the trolley and stumbled onto the floor. However he was only halfway there, as another problem presented itself: the full-body suit. Kotetsu snarled and then turned his head to grip the back of the suit and Barnaby instantly knew what was going to happen.

"Wait! Stop, don-"

"RRRRRRIIIP." Kotetsu then rolled on his back and tried to wiggle out of the clinging remnants of the suit, kicking rapidly and clawing with his hind feet to aid in removing the offending material. He snapped around and grabbed the back of the suit and tugged the remaining shreds off, growling softly as he used his front paws to help shrug it off, fluffing up his fur in every which direction in the process.

". . . tear that. It's expensive." Barnaby finished lamely. He sighed and then brought his hand up to support his aching brain. "Good job, Old Man." Kotetsu let out a low puff of air; it was collateral damage, he lived to please.

Saito could only look with waves of disapproval rolling off of him. He then started to talk about something, which Barnaby could not pick up. "Excuse me?" Barnaby asked, leaning in closer to better hear the man.

Saito sighed and re-explained himself. "How did Tiger turn into an actual tiger? Are you going to notify the company? They are most likely going to take over and hopefully return Kotetsu back to normal."

"How long would it take to find a way to turn him back?" Barnaby asked as he watched Kotetsu bat at his helmet and acting, rather, un-Kotetsu-like. He let out a mix between a growl and a pleased belting meow and pounced on the top of the helmet.

Saito sighed. "It could take a month, it could take a year, it could never be reversed, I am not sure; nothing like this has happened before. The Hero Board could say that Wild Tiger got injured but if they don't find a way to change him back, the City Council would probably take him and place him somewhere where he won't hurt anybody."

"Kotetsu would _never_ hurt anybody." Barnaby replied immediately, but his mind raced at the thought. He_ knows_ that, but the City Council will think otherwise. Most likely they will lock him up somewhere and sedate him so he can't even defend himself and perform countless of tests to see how that NEXT power caused the change. "I'll watch over him and see if he would turn back in a day or two. Kotetsu isn't that bad, I doubt him being a tiger would be any worse," Barnaby reassured the skeptical Saito. He turned to Kotetsu who had gotten bored of his helmet and was now lounging idly on the couch. "Kotetsu, we can't have you running around, so you are going to stay with me until we get everything sorted out, okay?"

Kotetsu let out a puff of air and then rested his head between his paws. He flicked his tail slightly as if he agreed, reluctantly, but he still agreed. Barnaby frowned, "It is not permanent, we just don't want a stray solicitor showing up at your house and finding a_ tiger_ lounging on the couch." Kotetsu let out a grumble and stared at him, pout clearly showing in his eyes. Barnaby shook his head. "No means no, plus my apartment is a lot closer than where your flat is."

Saito stared at Barnaby. He motioned him to come closer, "How do you manage to understand him?"

Barnaby snorted, "It's just Kotetsu, he is easy to read. I'm pretty sure anybody can understand what he is trying to say."

Saito readjusted his glasses. "Well, I certainly don't."

Barnaby frowned and he glanced at Kotetsu who was clearly expressing his boredom, a prolonged yawn showing off the set of ivory carnassial teeth he now sported. Maybe it was just the people that knew him better, like him and Rock Bison. Barnaby settled with that thought and then motioned Kotetsu to get off the couch. "You are going to track fur everywhere. How do you think the Board will react if they find tiger fur all over Saito's van? And with this amount, I doubt a simple "a stray tabby waltzed in" is going to cut it." Kotetsu let out a snort and then rolled off the couch and flopped onto the floor. Barnaby turned to Saito, "We should head to my apartment now, it is not too far from here."

.~.~.~.

Trying to sneak Kotetsu into his apartment was more nerve wracking than Barnaby would've cared to admit. Driving the van up to his apartment was a simple task, no harm done there. The problem was actually getting the tiger into the building without any of the other residents or the security cameras seeing him. The three of them lounged around in the van until the dead of night, when hardly anyone would be wandering around. Barnaby and Kotetsu slinked their way inside, Saito leaving shortly after.

Kotetsu trotted softly behind Barnaby as they took the "scenic route" to his apartment, which involved lots of stairs and an avoidance of all elevators and security cameras, walking along the cameras' blind spots. He jumped slightly when he heard the click of a door, but breathed an air of relief after realizing it was only a neighbor locking up their door for the night. Once reaching their destination, Kotetsu immediately skittered inside once the door was opened wide enough for him to fit through, his whiskers expertly gauging the distance.

Barnaby sighed as he walked in and locked the door. After such a long, problematic day, he wanted nothing more than to relax in his chair- the sole piece of furniture in his living room - and ease the tension in his muscles away, or perchance even head straight off to bed. Furthermore, he had to think of a cover story for Kotetsu during the duration he would be secretly living with him; perhaps he could go with the vacation story. If he was going to be a tiger for more than a few days however, that could quickly turn into a dilemma. Especially if word of this "vacation" reached Lloyds' unknowing ears. He'd never been at the end of that man's wrath - that was his bumbling partner's job - and he certainly didn't want to start now. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out the business card the smuggler had given him and stuck a magnet to it on the refrigerator. Strolling over to the kitchen counter, he slid open the drawer and withdrew a pen and notepad. Neatly he made a list of things he would eventually need to get for his new furry companion, ranging from food to hygiene. Once finished, that too was pinned upon the refrigerator.

Yawning, he made his way back to the living room, taking note of the tiger that was contently lolling on his chair, curled up on himself. He made a double take. "KOTETSU! Get off! You'll break that!"

Kotetsu snorted and then continued to lounge on his chair, completely ignoring his order as it creaked in protest, and it was a wonder the chair didn't collapse from the weight. He walked up to the colossal cat and shoved him, well tried to, off the chair. Kotetsu compiled by rolling off lazily and sent the chair spinning, hitting Barnaby's side. Barnaby hissed in pain and glared at the tiger who was lying lazily on his back and looking at him with expectation. "What now?" Barnaby hissed, the tiredness and frustration that he pent up now spilling like water in an overflowed dam.

Kotetsu twitched his tail and amber-brown eyes flicked down towards his furry stomach. Barnaby could only stare. "What?"

Kotetsu snorted at him and stared at him expectantly. Barnaby scooted closer and tentatively placed his hand on his partner's stomach and started to stroke the surprisingly soft underbelly. Kotetsu let out a low rumble and stretched out at the contact. Barnaby scratched his stomach, fascinated by this reaction that he was getting from his partner. Gently, he moved his hand towards Kotetsu's head, hand sinking into the fur, before fingers traveled to scratch at ears, knowing he was doing something right when Kotetsu lightly nudged his head towards the latter's hand. "Good night, Old Man," the blonde murmured as he stood up to get ready for bed. "Stay here and don't cause any trouble." Kotetsu gave a huff of air in acknowledgement - already on the brink of losing consciousness - and Barnaby retreated to his bedroom.

Later, Barnaby sank down onto his bed, exhausted by the eventful day; he sighed before turning over and slowly drifting off into sleep.

.~.~.~.

"Yo! Barnaby here! The old man turning into a tiger was quite the predicament, and neither Saito nor I have any knowledge of how to turn him back. To top it off, he's exhibiting more animal tendencies and gets to be smuggled into my quarters for the duration of his...transformation. Just how in the world is this going to work out?! Stay tuned for next time in Tiger Terror! See ya~"

* * *

Why hello there, and thanks for reading another chapter of_ Operation Tigtetsu_! Brought to you by AnimeAddicter101 and Winterferns.

Just as a little sidenote, the story's title origin is a mashup between Tiger and Kotetsu :3

As always, please review and all that jazz. Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3: Tiger Terror

12/14/13

* * *

"_Good night, Old Man," the blonde murmured as he stood up to get ready for bed. "Stay here and don't cause any trouble." Kotetsu gave a huff of air in acknowledgement - already on the brink of losing consciousness - and Barnaby retreated to his bedroom. Later, Barnaby sank down onto his bed, exhausted by the eventful day; he sighed before turning over and slowly drifting off into sleep._

.~.~.~.

The first thing that Barnaby registered was that he felt warm. His limbs felt heavy and his pillow was extremely soft for some odd reason. It was probably because he had a rather busy night and he was still exhausted. He let out a sigh and with his eyes still closed, he snuggled against his pillow and noticed that his nose was being tickled by something. That couldn't be right; he wasn't allergic to anything. All traces of sleepiness disappeared when his "pillow" snuggled back, and Barnaby was 100% sure that pillows did_ not_ snuggle back. His eyes snapped open to find himself in a face full of orange and white fur. Panicking, Barnaby tried to push the wall of fur away from him, only to find himself pinned down by its events from last night finally caught up to him and it clicked that Kotetsu managed to migrate from the living room into his bed.

"Dammit Old Man," he growled as he tried to push the giant fluffy mass away, to no avail. "Get _off._" His companion however merely grunted and comfortably nuzzled his cheek against the top of the latter's head, the blonde's shoves having no effect on him. The limb that was strewn about the man's chest also failed to move as well. Barnaby cursed silently in his head about how cats naturally gravitated themselves towards sources of heat. He'd have to make sure the tiger had a makeshift bed was heavily equipped with blankets tonight.

He turned his head and glanced at the clock, the digital numbers of 7:30 glowing faintly back at him. Lloyds wanted him there at eight. Barnaby gave Kotetsu another shove, but he clearly wasn't moving anytime soon. "Get off! I'm going to be late." He hissed. He was greeted by a lazy grumble. Kotetsu opened up his newly formed maw to form a massive yawn, his ivory fangs glinting dangerously in the half-light. He then crossed his paws and rested his head back down, right over Barnaby's head. Irritation started to rapidly build until it started to spill over. Fine! If he wanted to play that way, then there was only one way to get this 500-pound lazy lump off: Barnaby's eyes gleamed blue as blue waves engulfed his body and with this newfound strength he picked the tiger up and then dumped him onto the cold bedroom floor. The tiger expressed a terse yowl of surprise as he suddenly came face to face with the floor. Twisting and flailing himself into a sitting position, Kotetsu rested his muzzle at the edge of the bed with eyes full of hurt and betrayal.

Barnaby sat up and smoothed down his ruffled hair and glowered down at the feline. "Don't give me that look, Old Man," Barnaby chided with a yawn and then started to grope around for his glasses. "I _told_ you get off." Once locating the glasses, he pushed them up to his eyes and discovered that his sheets were _covered_ with orange fur. He sighed and then took off his glasses to message his already aching head. He is going to need to buy a lint roller, or a couple hundred of them.

Sliding off the bed, Barnaby trekked his way into the kitchen, Kotetsu following behind, the pads of his paws allowing for silent movement throughout the apartment. His stomach was growling and decided it would be a good idea to cook some breakfast - for the both of them. A shower could wait after all. As Barnaby was preparing his materials, Kotetsu sauntered over to the chair once more, again to the latter's chagrin. There'd be no point in constantly reminding him; he'd allow the man - er, tiger - to take responsibility whenever it did finally did give way and break.

After a while, the smell of a freshly cooked meal wafted through the house, and Kotetsu lifted his face from his paws to see Barnaby walking towards him, two plates held in his hands in a waiter-like fashion. He slid off the chair - he did have the decency to not eat and make a mess in the blonde's sole piece of living room furniture - and sat patiently as Barnaby in turn sat in the chair and offered a plate of steaming fried rice to the tiger.

"I've. . .been practicing how to make it," Barnaby confessed, almost in a shy manner. "I know it's not _exactly_ how you make it but. . . I added extra mayonnaise for you?" Kotetsu stared at the plate, sniffed it, and then stared up at him in discontent. With a huff he turned his head away from the plate, the acrid smell wafting from the food made the thought of eating such thing repulsive. He wanted something different, something with _more_ taste.

Barnaby stared at the latter in disbelief. Kotetsu, _refusing_ his favorite meal of all time? It was a ludicrous thought but the evidence was presenting itself plain as day. He shoved a spoon into his own rice and chewed in thought - "a little burnt" a voice chided in his mind. Experimentally, he fished out a tiny piece of shrimp out and held it between his thumb and forefinger at eye level. In response, Kotetsu gazed at Barnaby, dilated eyes following the hand that slid back and forth in the air, his mouth slightly opening silently as if to give a quiet meow. Barnaby chucked the piece of shrimp to the ground and the tiger wasted no time in scampering forward and trapping the miniscule creature between his paws, rough tongue lapping at the wooden floor and obtaining the shrimp in one clean sweep. Barnaby sighed and stared at the clock: 7:35. He needed to speed things up or he'll be late.

A growl rumbled pulled Barnaby's attention back to the large tiger. There was a hungry gleam in Kotetsu's eyes that seemed to stare straight right into him, causing the man to back away slowly. "I have some meat in the fridge," he supplied as he made it to the kitchen door. "I can go and grab some for you." He then spun around and hurried to the fridge, found his microwavable steak dinner and then opened it before sticking it into his microwave. He tapped his foot impatiently as the meal started to cook, his mind wandering as he stared at Kotetsu who was now staring at the platter, which was still heaped high with the slightly scorched fried rice, pawing at the air as if it was some kind of foreign object. He then poked the pile with his pink nose and jerked back, expecting something to appear out of the seemingly harmless pile of rice.

The beeping of the microwave caused Barnaby to turn his attention to the now heated meal. He popped open the door and reached in, retrieving the steamy meal inside. He glanced at the clock on the top of his stove, 7:45. Transferring it to a ceramic plate, Barnaby walked over to the living room, a startled "gnnrk!" escaping him as he saw the scene presented before him. Kotetsu was sprawled onto the nonexistent plate beneath him, fried rice scattered in a pool around his upper body, the damn tiger grinning at him with a pleased expression, tail twitching back and forth in amusement.

Barnaby closed his eyes heaved a heavy sigh, counting silently in his head. There was no sense for getting upset at him now. It was just more work for him to do later. Regaining his composure, Barnaby went up to the tiger and placed the meal. "Alright," Barnaby sighed. "Meat. So...dig in?"

Kotetsu however only merely looked in the opposite direction with a low grunt, clearly not interested. "You-!" Barnaby sputtered flabbergasted. He turned on his heels and raised his hands in the air in a surrendering motion. "That's it, I'm done, Old Man. If you're not eating, fine. But I'm going to work."

.~.~.~.

He was late to work. It wasn't even by a couple minutes. Barnaby Brooks Jr. was half an hour late to work; it was ludicrously! He was never late! It was all Kotetsu's fault, who was lying at the entrance towards the door of his apartment and refused to let Barnaby leave. He had to wait until he could use his One Hundred Powers again to shove the tiger out of the way and run the rest of the way to work.

Barnaby let out a heavy sight and rested his chin in the palm of his hand and stared blankly ahead at the wall. The office was quiet, too quiet without Kotetsu's constant shuffling and hums. The only sounds resounding were of the the scratch of nibs against paper and the ticking of the clock on the wall. Off to the side of the desk was a neat pile of paperwork that Barnaby had finished. In front of him was another stack of papers, this stack a mix of his remaining work and the ones that Kotetsu had defiantly neglected to do. His mind wandered back to the events of the morning of Kotetsu stubbornly refusing the food placed in front of him, and how he could get the tiger to eat. He couldn't very well starve during his stay as a tiger. He glanced up at the clock, it was 12:17, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. All this stress isn't good for him.

'A break wouldn't hurt,' Barnaby thought as he brought out his laptop, the little machine whirring to life as the power button was pressed. He signed in and opened his browser, determined to research what tigers eat...and would actually be available for him to buy in normal scenarios. He scrolled through the websites, making a mental list of what would and wouldn't be plausible to buy; though for the most part, it was mostly meat. 'Raw meat,' Barnaby thought with a grimace. He continued to scroll down and completely skimmed over the fact that tiger ate about 88 pounds of meat a day. Huh, interesting. He scrolled onto what kinds of meat they ate. There were deer, pigs, cows, buffaloes, blah, blah, blah. _Wait._ Barnaby scrolled back up and reread the fact. 'Tigers eat about 88 pounds of meat a day.' Where on earth is he supposed to even buy that much meat?

Barnaby groaned and let his head fall to the desk with a resonating thud. The secretary looked up from her work and stared at the distraught man. "Is everything alright, Mr. Brooks?"

Barnaby's head shot up. "Yes! Yes, everything is fine. Just the paperwork." He smiled charmingly and looked back down at his work with a frown. Honestly, where was he going to even find that much meat? Then something clicked in his brain and a lightbulb went off. Of course, the card. He shot up, papers spraying off the desk, and he shot his hands out to grab the scattered papers.

The secretary looked up at him with an arched eyebrow. "Mr. Brooks?" Barnaby rubbed the back of his neck. She tilted her head slightly to the side with concern. "Do you need a day to rest? You don't seem too focused today."

Barnaby looked startled. "What? No, I mean, yes, I mean. Um- yeah. I am a bit. . . Sorry." He inwardly groaned. Kotetsu's change seemed to have completely thrown him off of track. He sighed. "I would really like to have the rest of the day off; may you contact Lloyds for me?"

The secretary nodded, a glint of understanding in her eyes - something Kotetsu would never receive to due always being chided by her. She scribbled a note to contact Lloyds when he was finished with his meeting, and acknowledged a goodbye as Barnaby packed his materials and left the office.

.~.~.~.

Barnaby sighed as he trudged into his apartment; his mind was everywhere today. He stared down at his watch, noting that it was now three in the afternoon. He entered his apartment and closed his door with a soft click. He let out a sigh and adjusted the bag he had. He turned around and froze at the sight that greeted him.

To say that his apartment was in complete disarray was an understatement. It looked worse then what happened at King's Zoo. He took a tentative step towards the kitchen and let out a groan. The pantry doors were all opened, and some were hanging by one hinge. Packets and cans of food were dragged out and their remnants were scattered across in floor in pitiful scraps. The trashcan was toppled over and the contents were all shifted through. Barnaby was about to step into the kitchen when he noticed a couple smashed plates on the ground. He dropped the bag and then brought both of his hands to his face. He let out a shaky breath as he tried to maintain his composure. He turned around and then stormed his way into his living room, his face casting the embodiment of rage. "Ko. Tet. Su." He spat every syllable of his partner's name out. He reached the doorway and stopped short. Kotetsu was sprawled out onto his back, and a pitiful, pained look of absolute hunger was clear on his face. The microwaveable steak dinner next to him was still untouched. Kotetsu turned his head feebly towards him and his tail flicked towards him in a limp greeting. Guilt washed over Barnaby in a sudden wave as a rather large rumble echoed from the tiger's stomach. He had left his partner alone nearly half the day without any food in his fit of annoyance this morning after all.

Barnaby set his bag and coat down and made his way into the kitchen, careful not to step on anything on the ground. He reached into the fridge and pulled out some chicken breasts he had completely forgotten about defrosting a couple nights ago. "Come on Old Man, here's some-" However, his sentence was interrupted as he suddenly noticed that his hands were, well. . . empty. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tail skirt away from the doorway, and walking out he could see that Kotetsu had retreated back into the living to feverishly chomp on the meat.

"You better not make a mess out there, Old Man!" Barnaby reprimanded over his shoulder as he walked back into the kitchen. His eyes trailed to the business card stuck onto the fridge. "Better do it now before Kotetsu eats me out of this place or just eat me," Barnaby murmured as he picked up the phone. He just hoped that the chicken was enough to keep him alive for the next couple hours.

.~.~.~.

"Hi, Barnaby here! I learned that as a tiger, Kotetsu is an extremely picky eater; he won't even eat fried rice! On top of that, tigers eat about 88 pounds of meat _a day_. Hopefully this business card will come to some use, but something tells me that it won't be like any other appointment I've been to before. Stay tuned for next time in Shady Deals! See ya~"

.~.~.~.

Hey guys, and thanks for sticking through another chapter of _Operation Tigtetsu_! Brought to you and owned by AnimeAddicter101 and Winterferns.

Sorry about not updating as fast as we'd like. Homework continues to hold us hostage like the little devil it is. (¬＿¬) o(¬＿¬) ∋━━o(｀∀´oメ）～→ But rest assured; we won't give up on the series!

WF: God, I hate physics. Math+Science+Theories=Physics

Doesn't help when I had to do a business plan in Biotech. If you ever give me a business, I'll run it into the ground and make everybody homeless and bankrupt and you will need to sell your children to get the money you need to survive.

AA: And I, hate math. All kinds of math ಠ_ಠ

I'm not in physics this year thank gawd ewe

Meanwhile in Biomed, I get to run around in the lab and use ELISA to find out what's wrong with all these sick peeps. And learn about bacteria. ….Fun stuff.

So just keep favoriting, reviewing, sprinkling some love and we shall deliver~ Happy holidays and until next time!


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